On the upper plaza at the west end of Burns Field on the campus of Radnor Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.), I had a chance to talk with a very important figure behind yesterday’s game between the Irish and InterAc rival Newtown Square Episcopal Academy (Pa.).

Emily Snowden is a former varsity field hockey for the University of Vermont and the current volunteer assistant for Drexel University.

She is also the Director of Goalkeeping for the WC Eagles field hockey club, the offseason club program which has dominated indoor club play as well as National Club Championships during the summer. Amongst their alumnae are Team USA’s Erin Matson, as well as numerous members of age-group national teams as well as the senior national indoor team in the last cycle.

Club founders Richard and Jun Kentwell have made their reputations by questioning everything. They have done several things that no other club team had ever tried before, such as building their own hockey-specific facility. But more germane to yesterday’s game was Snowden, who, in the offseason, trains both EA goalkeeper Caroline Kelly and ND goalkeeper Paige Kieft.

Now, as i said yesterday in the game story, the coaching of goalkeeping was something that wasn’t taken seriously 20 years ago. But specialized coaching at the top levels of the college game has made its way to club play. Snowden works pretty much full-time for WC Eagles, in a U.S. club system where coaching is very much done on a part-time basis.

I hadn’t thought of the benefits of a full-time goalkeeping coach, but it makes sense in the context of what has made WC Eagles such a powerful name in American and international field hockey circles, even making it into a chapter of Gavin Featherstone’s book, “The Hockey Dynamic.”

VILLANOVA, Pa. — One of the nation’s best scholastic field hockey rivalry games has gotten a bit spicier this season. Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.) and Newtown Square Episcopal Academy (Pa.) are Inter-Academies Conference rivals located about two miles from each other along the Main Line west of Philadelphia, and have likely met each other more than 60 times on the hockey pitch since EA started admitting female students into the upper school sometime after 1980.

Yesterdays installment of the rivalry was just as intense as many of the recent matches, with Episcopal taking a 2-1 lead with about 15 minutes remaining, only to see the Irish tie the game on a rebound with under eight minutes to go. Notre Dame would then get an overtime goal Lauren Curran penalty corner to win 3-2.

But this game, and the rivalry, got a bit spicier this year because it was about a month ago when Notre Dame, the three-time defending Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) champion, defeated Millersville Penn Manor (Pa.), the defending Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class AAA champion, by a score of 3-2.

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the center of field hockey in America, that is a seismic occurrence.

The result of that game has put a target about the size of a house on Notre Dame, which has kept the momentum going, defeating Class AAA runner-up Downingtown (Pa.) West as well as District 1-AAA runner-up Tredyffrin Conestoga (Pa.).

“It was bold of us to set up the schedule starting with Penn Manor, but we just wanted to take on the top team, and compete, regardless,” said Adele Williams, who is in her 16th year of coaching the Irish. “The girls stepped up and played well, and have been in good form since.”

But for all of the scrutiny and pressure, there’s another level whenever Notre Dame takes on Episcopal. The dramatic outcome was worthy of a league final, but this could be the first of three times these sides could meet in 2018.

“Today, you saw two teams playing a good level of hockey,” said EA head coach Gina Buggy. “The ball was being used productively throughout the field, and with exciting and threatening moves.”

Inasmuch as the game was an exhibition of good team play, use of space, and smart ball-possession, the two goalkeepers played some outstanding hockey.

Senior Caroline Kelly of Episcopal Academy and sophomore Paige Kieft of Notre Dame are two young women whose excellent reflects the enormous changes in goalkeeping over the years — not just the type of athlete involved, but how they are coached. Specialized goalkeeper coaching used to be a rarity at the scholastic level in the U.S. except for summer camps. And until about 20 years ago, only a handful of U.S. college teams even had goalie coaches.

But Kelly and Kieft have received specialized coaching from the time they picked up the game in middle-school, and are current members of the WC Eagles club side, which employs a full-time goalie coach. The two have gotten to train with some of the best in the world in recent years.

“I’ve had many goalie coaches over the years, and this summer I was able to train in Amsterdam for a month, and I was fortunate to get one hour with a man named Martin Dreiber,” Kelly said. “Every single word he said settled in my mind, and I think about what he said to me constantly.”

“Jackie Briggs (the retired U.S. starting goalkeeper) was my goalie coach a couple of years ago in the spring,” Kieft said. “Just the experience of her talking about her experience and how she experienced situations, it was really special working with her.”

Today, however, they were on opposite sides in a high-stakes derby. During the game, both sides played smart possession hockey, using space and every square foot of the pitch to generate scoring chances.

Though Notre Dame generated more opportunities in the final third, Episcopal did an equally wonderful job at converting theirs. Indeed, the Churchwomen had seized the lead late on a 90-yard snowbird after a failed Notre Dame corner.

On the play, Kelly Smith, the Episcopal corner flyer, found space up the middle of the pitch to get the ball to teammate Maddie Rehak, who relayed the ball to forward Gianna Pantaleo, who took the ball right at the Irish defense. She created a 2-on-1, pulling out Kieft with a darting move along the right side, whereupon the Boston University commit deposited the ball from a tight angle.

“We’re big on trying to get rid of the ball quickly, and taking advantage of their weak side, and this was an example of Gianna making a third effort,” Buggy said. “It was working together, and it was really great to see.

“Usually, I trust my defenders to make the play,” Kieft said. “I think the ‘uh-oh’ moment was when I didn’t want to execute the skill I wanted to correctly. I needed to be more patient and stay in goal.”

We’re back with Statwatch, our feature which looks into the numbers and superlatives that define field hockey across generations.

This week’s statistical milestone is the 600th career victory for Bob Derr of Lititz Warwick (Pa.). He was the first male scholastic coach to get his 500th win when he crossed that barrier seven years ago, and he is, I think, the only field hockey coach who also doubles as a wrestling official.

Derr’s victory came earlier this week in an overtime match against Mechanicsburg Cumberland Valley (Pa.). He becomes the 18th known member of the all-time 600-win club, although there are some coaches who may never get credit because of poor recordkeeping for girls’ sports through most of the 20th Century.

Below, in red, are statistics as of the close of play on Wednesday, meaning that they are going to be somewhat different from the Daily Statwatch numbers to the right of this column, which we try to update in, more or less, real time.

So, this is where you can help us out immensely. If you see a statistics that is missing or wrong, feel to send us an email at TopOfTheCircle.com. Give us a name or a bit of documentation (a website will do) so that we can make the adjustment.

The skinny: This is one to watch because, historically, not many North Jersey teams will schedule New York public high-school teams despite their relative proximity. But this match should be a good one since both teams have a defeat already, and would like to avoid a second. This is a matchup of sitting state champions, as Oak Knoll is the New Jersey non-public champ, and Mamaroneck is your current New York Class A titleist.

VOORHEES EASTERN (N.J.) at DOWNINGTOWN (Pa.) WEST

Where and when: Walter E. Kottmeyer Stadium, 3:30 p.m. Friday

Records (at the start of play Sept. 26): Eastern 10-0; Downingtown West 6-2

The skinny: This is a matchup of two teams which fell one short of their ultimate goal a year ago. Eastern fell one overtime goal short of winning the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions, while West fell to Millersville Penn Manor (Pa.) in the PIAA Class AAA final.

In an attempt to get back to those championship finals this year, both sides have bolstered their schedules. Eastern played Oak Knoll a couple of weekends ago, then, after this game, has a pair of interstate games scheduled against Louisville Sacred Heart (Ky.) and Kingston Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) the first weekend of October. For their part, the Whippets have scheduled PIAA Class AA champion Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.), Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.), and Hershey (Pa.) this season.

The skinny: Everyone and their brother in the field hockey world is pointing to the Oct. 17th non-league fixture with Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.) as the key game in Notre Dame’s calendar.

We beg to differ; Episcopal-Notre Dame has been the pivot point around which the InterAc, and the PAISAA, revolve. And, like in the English Premier League, we hockey people are fortunate to see this rivalry twice; the reverse match is Oct. 23 at Sonje Volla Field.

DOWNINGTOWN (Pa.) EAST at EMMAUS (Pa.)

Where and when: Memorial Field, noon Saturday

Records (at the start of play Sept. 26): Downingtown East 9-2; Emmaus 10-0

The skinny: As well as Downingtown West played a year ago, do not discount the improvement from the team from the east side of town. This game comes just two days after today’s Downingtown Derby match.

Emmaus has been merciless this season, scoring 115 goals and conceding one. Yep, one. Is this Hornets team primed for yet another state title bid?

Earlier this week, the University of North Carolina announced that the newly-minted field hockey-specific campus stadium would be named for head coach and 1984 Olympian Karen Shelton.

Just about everyone in the U.S. field hockey community has hit upon the same two words to describe the event: “well-deserved.”

Shelton has been at the helm of the Heels’ program for 38 years, guiding her teams to 20 ACC titles and six NCAA championships. The Tar Heels’ excellence was certainly evident in the mid-1990s when they won three straight titles between 1995 and 1997, when the team featured the likes of future Olympian Kate Barber.

But what is also remarkable about UNC’s excellence is its consistency. Between 2007 and 2016, the Tar Heels made the Final Four nine times, the championship game seven times, while winning two titles. That’s an enviable track record in a sport in which goals are rare.

The early days of every year’s Top 10 are the times that try one’s soul, especially with two of the teams drawing matches this week. That fact throws an enormous spanner into the works, resulting in a jumbling of the ranks.

For our RightToRightIsRight.com No. 11 Team of the Week, let’s give a call to Delran Holy Cross Preparatory Academy (N.J.). The school nearly closed three months ago after the Diocese of Trenton ceased funding of the school, but a group of alumni/ae and a new board are running the place under a slightly altered name. The changes have not affected the field hockey team, which is off to an undefeated start.

1. Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) 9-0

Vikings play against PIAA Class AAA runner-up Downingtown (Pa.) West this Friday

2. Shrub Oak Lakeland (N.Y.) 7-0

Hornets conceded their first goals of the season in a win over Scardale, then shut out Mamaroneck (N.Y.) last Saturday

3. Emmaus (Pa.) 9-0

Hornets unloaded 50 shots on goal in beating Bethlehem Freedom (Pa.); meets up with Downingtown (Pa.) East this Saturday at noon

4. Mount Joy Donegal (Pa.) 10-0

Mackenzie Allessie (45 goals) leads the nation in scoring, but the team effort to carry the Indians past Oley (Pa.) Valley cannot be overlooked

5. Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.) 7-0-1

Came back from a 2-2 draw against Pottstown Hill School (Pa.) to beat Tredyffrin Conestoga (Pa.); Irish have InterAc rival Episcopal Academy this Friday

6. Summit Oak Knoll (N.J.) 4-1

A tough week with yesterday’s clash with North Caldwell West Essex (N.J.) as well as a Thursday night game at Mamaroneck (N.Y.)

7. Delmar (Del.) 5-0

Wildcats have five clean sheets against five very unpredictable opponents, including a 3-0 shutout over Lewes Cape Henlopen (Del.)

8T. Millersville Penn Manor (Pa.) 9-1-1

Penn Manor showed a lot of fight after falling adrift for the first time all season; Comets could have won the game in the final 10 seconds of regulation

8T. Hershey (Pa.) 6-2-1

Trojans were on the front foot during the contest and almost won it in the final seconds of extra time

10. Louisville Sacred Heart (Ky.) 14-0

Swept its games in the Lake Forest Invitational, including an impressive 4-3 result over Winnetka New Trier (Ill.)

11. Delran Holy Cross Preparatory Academy (N.J.) 5-0

Dana Burgess and Bevan Gebhardt (six goals each) have paced the Crusaders’ attack this season